Our Team

Erin Ward

Bringing over 18 years of experience as a Speech-Language Pathologist, Erin has built a distinguished career rooted in specialized expertise in speech therapy, dysphagia management, and language disorders. Her professional journey reflects a long-standing commitment to serving individuals across diverse healthcare settings, with a strong focus on assisted living communities throughout Howard, Anne Arundel, and Carroll Counties.

Throughout her career, she has worked closely with patients during some of the most critical and vulnerable years of their lives, gaining a deep appreciation for the importance of dignity, communication, and quality of care in aging populations. These experiences shaped her belief that the “golden years” should be enriched with meaningful engagement, improved safety, and enhanced quality of life through skilled therapeutic intervention.

Her work is defined by a compassionate, patient-centered approach and a dedication to improving functional outcomes in communication and swallowing. She has collaborated extensively with interdisciplinary teams, families, and caregivers to ensure continuity of care and to support each individual’s highest level of independence.

Over time, Erin’s professional experience evolved into a deeper vision—one centered on creating a higher standard of care within assisted living environments. That long-standing dream ultimately became reality with the creation of Verity Assisted Living, a reflection of her commitment to providing a therapeutic, supportive, and dignified environment for older adults.

Through both her clinical practice and leadership, she continues to blend expertise, empathy, and vision in service of those she supports, ensuring that each resident’s later years are not only safe and supported, but truly meaningful.

Owner, Founder

Speech-Language Pathologist

Our Team

Co-owner, Director of Operations

Donald Word

As the husband of founder Erin Ward, he has been a constant, solid foundation for the birth and development of Verity House. With a career spanning over 16 years of leadership and operational expertise—including extensive experience managing teams of experts and delivering high-level training solutions at companies like Vectorworks and MissionGO—he brings a wealth of strategic knowledge to the organization. His background in sales engineering, training management, and complex operations makes him uniquely equipped to support the vision and mission of Verity House.

In this role, he serves as the behind-the-scenes engine for the organization, focusing on direction and daily operations. By handling the logistical and technical demands of the house, he works in close, collaborative partnership with Erin, empowering her to focus her time and energy on what matters most: being resident-facing and personally connected to those they serve.

Why

Families

Choose Us

Making Your Best Years Even Better

Verity House Assisted Living is a boutique residential care home dedicated to preserving each resident’s identity, dignity, and ability to communicate. Our home is designed to provide individualized support with a strong emphasis on cognitive engagement, communication facilitation, and safe functional living.

A close-up of two people holding hands, one appears to be older with visibly aged skin, and the other is younger, both dressed in casual jackets.

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